A DIN rail equipped with terminal blocks as components is known, for example, from DE 39 29 721 A1. In addition to the terminal blocks, end holders are arranged on the ends of the DIN rail and are used to support the end faces of terminal blocks lined up on the DIN rail and to prevent them from slipping on the DIN rail.
Switch cabinets in which the DIN rails are usually installed comprise a plurality of rows arranged next to one another horizontally and/or vertically for receiving the DIN rails.
In this case, the DIN rails cannot be equipped with the components until the DIN rails are installed in the switch cabinet.
It is also common to equip the DIN rails with the components according to an order before they are installed in the switch cabinets. In this respect, “according to an order” means that the rails are equipped in accordance with a specific order that specifies which components (e.g. terminal blocks, electrical devices, end holders) are to be arranged on the DIN rail, how many of these components are to be arranged and in what order. In the process, the order data can optionally also contain information on how the individual components on the DIN rail are to be labeled or provided with labels or the like. The fully equipped (pre-assembled) DIN rails are then installed in the switch cabinet either in the switch cabinet manufacturing facility or on site by the switch cabinet operator at the location of the switch cabinet. Since the DIN rails are equipped according to an order and are thus different, the equipped DIN rail also has to undergo further processing, e.g. component labeling, as specified by the order. Owing to the large differences between the pre-equipped DIN rails, the equipped DIN rails also have to be installed in the switch cabinets according to the order. If the pre-equipped DIN rail is assigned incorrectly, errors occur during the further processing and the DIN rail is installed in the incorrect switch cabinet or at the incorrect position in the switch cabinet.
DE 10 2010 047 369 A1 discloses an installation for equipping DIN rails with components.